MADIGAN: WAYNE COUNTY MAN HELD ON $1 MILLION BOND FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CHARGES

Springfield — A Fairfield man is being held on a $1 million bond after being charged with multiple counts of child pornography as part of Operation Glass House, a statewide initiative Attorney General Lisa Madigan launched to apprehend the most active offenders who download and trade child pornography online.

Randy C. King, 59, is charged with three Class X counts of possession of child pornography and is being held in the Wayne County Jail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 8 in Wayne County Circuit Court.

“Child pornography remains a real and significant threat to our children. It is a horrific crime that victimizes children each time an image is downloaded or traded online,” Madigan said. “My office will continue partnering with law enforcement authorities around the state to target these offenders and put them behind bars.”

Madigan’s investigators, with the assistance of the Fairfield Police Department and the Wayne County State’s Attorney’s Office, conducted a search of King’s residence in the 500 block of Sibley Street last week, where evidence of alleged child pornography was located. State’s Attorney David Williams’ office will prosecute the case.

The public is reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

“I’m grateful that the Attorney General’s office brought this case to our attention so that we can ensure the safety of children in our community,” said Fairfield Police Chief Brad Winter. “I am most impressed with their performance and professionalism.”

This is the 48th arrest since Madigan launched Operation Glass House in August 2010 to investigate the most active child pornography traders in Illinois. In 2010, the first year of Operation Glass House, Madigan’s investigations revealed a disturbing trend of offenders trading extremely violent videos of young children being raped. As a result, Operation Glass House has focused on apprehending offenders who are seen trading and watching extremely violent videos involving children, including infants and toddlers.

Madigan’s office, with a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, runs the Illinois Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which investigates child exploitation crimes and trains law enforcement agencies. Since 2006, Madigan’s ICAC Task Force has been involved in 613 arrests of sexual predators. The Task Force has also provided Internet safety training and education to more than 299,000 parents, teachers and students and more than 16,000 law enforcement professionals. Currently, 186 agencies are affiliated with the Illinois ICAC.